Google has released the February 2026 update for Discover, this is a significant update to how Google presents content within Google Discover. Google wrote, “This is a comprehensive update to our systems that feature articles on Discover.”
This is a first for English-language users in the US, and will expand to all countries and languages in the coming months, Google said. The rollout will take two weeks to complete, Google added.
What is expected. Google said the Discover update will improve the Google Discover “experience in several key ways,” including:
- It shows users the most relevant local content from websites in their country
- Reducing provocative content and clickbait on Discover
- Displaying in-depth, original, and timely content from websites with expertise in a specific area, based on our systems’ understanding of the site’s content.
Since this review is intended to show more locally relevant content from sites based in their country, it may impact the penetration of non-US websites that publish news for a US audience. The impact may diminish or disappear if the update spreads globally, as it comes out.
More details. Google added that since there are many sites that “display in-depth knowledge on many subjects,” “Google’s systems are designed to identify expertise on a topic-by-topic basis.” There is an equal chance of appearing on Discover, regardless of whether the site has expertise in many areas or is focused on one topic, explains Google.
An example provided by Google was “a local news site with a dedicated gardening section where we would gain expertise in gardening, even though it covered other topics. In contrast, a movie review site that wrote a single article about gardening probably wouldn’t.”
Google also added that it will continue to “show personalized content based on people’s creator and source preferences.”
Expect flexibility. With this major update to Discover, you should expect a change in traffic to Google Discover. “Some sites may see an increase or decrease; many sites may see no change at all,” added Google.
Discharge. Google said it is “releasing this update to English-language users in the US, and will expand to all countries and languages in the coming months.”
Why do we care. If you’re getting traffic from Google Discover, you may see changes in that traffic in the coming days. Google recommends that if you need guidance, Google has “general guidance on important updates, as does our Get on Discover help page” in that help documentation.
Ultimately, Google said that during its testing, it found that “people found the Discover experience more useful and appropriate with this update.”
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